Auxiliary folding seat for automobiles.



E. G. PANDOW. AUXILIARY FOLDING SEAT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIOAITION TILED 001" 31, 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

A? dmti /w in the said application.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL G. PANDOW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W.COSTELLO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUXILIARY FOLDING SEAT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed October 31, 1910. Serial No. 589,874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL G. PANDOW, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Auxiliary Folding Seatsfor Automobiles, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, andexact description.

In folding seats, such as are adapted for use as supplemental or extraseats in automobile cars, it is desirable that when out of service, theseat bottom and back may be brought into substantially the same plane,and turned half way around near to the inner side of the car body andpreferably back of the path of the doors. I have heretofore made certainimprovements in auxiliary seats, of this general class, for which I havemade application for a patent, which application, Serial No. 572,857,filed July 20th, 1910, is now pending in the United States PatentOflice.

My invention herein is an improvement upon the structure illustrated anddescribed In said former structure, the socket plate is secured upon theunder side of the seat bottom and near one of the rear corners thereof,said plate being provided with a sleeve inclined at an acute angle tothe plane of said bottom. The main supporting member or pintle issecured at its base to the side of the body of the vehicle or othersupport, and extending upwardly is bent or curved first away from theside of the body of the vehicle or other support and then toward thesame at a forward inclination, the pintle proper being provided at theupper end thereof. This pintle fits within the socket of the previouslymentioned angularly inclined sleeve. As in said former invention, theangle of the pintle and the position of the mounting of the sleeve orsocket which fits the pintle are preferably such that the chair seat, bya single movement or swing, may be carried approximately 90 degrees infolding, that is, from its horizontal position or position of use to itsvertical position or folded position and by the same movement rotatedapproximately 90 degrees and thereby brought out of the path of the doorand in line with i and near to the side of the body of the vehicle.

My invention herein relates more particularly to the means whereby theswinging movement of the seat is limited and the seat and back withrespect to each other locked in position when folded, and the seatbottom locked when in position for use. To this end I provide a secondsleeve or socket and preferably in the same plate with the main sleeveor socket, the openings or bores of the two sleeves being angularlydisposed with respect to each other and so that said bores will, to alimited extent, occupy common space. Now, as will be more particularlydescribed, the angularly disposed sleeve is adapted to be rotated asstated upon the pintle of the standard. These several parts areconstructed and arranged so that when the chair is unfolded the chairseat will be securely held in proper position for use, while on foldingthe chair and bringing it to its position of rest in line with the bodyof the vehicle the chair seat and back will be locked with respect toeach other, and so held until rotated back about the pintle.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a View of the seat in itsfolded position as viewed from the inside of the car, a portion of onesleeve being shown in section to disclose the groove in the pintle; Fig.2 is a side elevation viewed from the left of Fig. 1, with parts brokenaway; Fig. 3 is a front view showing the seat and back after having beenbrought into horizontal position, portions of the seat and back beingbroken away to more clearly show the relative positions of the lockingmechanism; Fig. 4 is a front view showing the chair with back and seatin position for use; and Fig. 5 is a detail View of the pivot pin whichis turned by the movement of the chair back.

Like parts are indicated by similar charactors of reference in thedifferent figures.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have two folding members, thechair back 1 and the chair seat or bottom 2. The members are pivoted orhinged together at 3 and 3 so that they may be folded together as shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or opened out and unfolded as shown in Fig. 4.There is provided a standard 4, which is supported as indicated by thesocket 5, or in other suitable manner. We come now to the plate orcasting 6 which is provided with two sleeves. First, sleeve 7 isdisposed at an acute angle to the plane of the seat bottom and isadapted to rotate about the pintle 8 of the standard. Second, sleeve 9is disposed transversely and parallel with the plane of the said bottom.Now it will be seen that these two sleeves cross one another so that theopening or bore of one sleeve at the place of intersection comes intothe path of the bore of the other sleeve for a short distance and to asmall extent. From this it follows that if the pintle proper 8 of theangular sleeve and the pivot pin 10 of the other sleeve 9 werecylindrical throughout both could not be in position in their respectivesleeves at once. I have found that by providing suitably placed groovesin the pintle 8 and pivot post 10, respectively, the desired movementsof the members 1 and 2, may be permitted, while the movements of foldingand unfolding will result in looking and unlocking the said members atthe proper times and places.

The groove 11 of pivot post 10 and the groove 12 of pintle 8 areprovided as shown. These grooves are in such position that when the seatis horizontal and the back still folded, as shown in Fig. 3, they willcome nearly opposite each other and occupy the common intersection spaceof the bores of the two sleeves, so that there will be, at this time, nolocking of either of the members 1 and 2. On raising the back to theposition shown in Fig. 4 the pivot post or pin 10 is rotated, and thecylindrical surface thereof brought into the groove 12 of the pintle 8,and this rounded surface turning in said groove 12 permits the back ormember 1 to be raised, turning on its pivots or hinges 3, 3. Seat 2 istherefore securely locked in its horizontal position, that is, preventedfrom turning about the pintle as soon as the surface of pin 10 takes thegroove 12 on the first movement of the back 2 in unfolding so that theseat may not be turned by any movement of the sleeve 7 about the pintle8 of the standard,

The chair is folded by'turning the back 1 down to the position indicatedin Fig. 3, this movement causing pivot post or locking pin 10 to turnout of engagement with the groove 12 of pintle 8; and thereupon the backand seat may be rotated together to the position indicated in Figs. 1and 2, the said back and seat being locked with relation to each otheras soon as movedfro-m the posi tion shown in Fig. 3 toward the positionindicated in Figs. 2 and 3. During this movement the groove 11 of pin orpost 10 will take and be turned about the rounded sur face of the pintleor post 8.

On the upper end of the standard t, that is, upon the pintle proper, isprovided the stop 13, while the sleeve 7, at its upper end, is cut awayas shown to form a corresponding stop 14. 'These stops may be termedpositioning stops since they limit the rotary shown in Fig. 4, limit thebackward movement of the said back or member 1.

The manner of operating or manipulating the chair in folding andunfolding will be obvious, that is to say, assuming that the auxiliaryseat is in the position shown in Fig. t, the first act will be to folddown the seat back or member 1 to the position indicated in Fig. 3. Thusthe folding of the back will have turned the locking pivot 10 todisengage the samefrom the pintle 8. Thereupon the two members 1 and 2thus folded together will be rotated about the pintle and be brought tothe position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The plate or casting 6 may be, for example, of phosphor bronze. Thestandard 4t, including the pintle 8, and also the pivot post or lockingpin 10 may be of steel. In actual practice I have made the diameter ofthe pintle 1;} inches and that of the pivot post 10, 1 inches.

Speaking broadly the pintle proper 8 and the pivot post 10 may be spokenof as pivot pins, posts or pintles interchangeably. Thus it may be saidthat there are comprised in the invention two sleeves angularlydisposed, each sleeve having its own pivot pin and these pins being eachprovided with a groove and so arranged that the grooves will register atthe common point of intersection of the bores of the two sleeves, inwhich position there will be no engagement between the pivot pins, thedifferent parts being, however, so arranged that the relative positionsof the sleeves and pivot pins may be changed from that of registrationso that the grooves of the pins respectively will, according to theirposition in one direction or the other from the position ofregistration, take or fit upon the corresponding cylindrical surface ofthe other, that is, accordingly as the parts are rotated to bring thegrooves from their position of registration. In the particularinstanceshown the pintle proper S is fixed in position and the relative 7positions of this pintle, with respect to the post 10, are determined bymovements imparted to the member 1 which carries the said pivot post,that is to say, the opening or unfolding of member 1 rotates the pivotpost to bring the cylindrical surface thereof into the groove of thepintle, in which groove, the said cylindrical post turns. On the otherhand when the members are folded together as shown in Fig. 3, and thefurther movement is imparted to the two members 1 and 2 to bring them tothe position shown in Figs. 2 and 1, the groove 11 of post 10 takes thecylindrical surface of the pintle and turns about the same during themovement of sleeve 7 upon the pintle 8 to carry the two members from thehorizontal position to the vertical position, as already described.

I have described my invention with respect to the angularly disposedsleeves and the grooved pintle pivot pin in connection with auxiliarychairs adapted for use in automobiles. This mechanical structure, to myknowledge, was not known or used, prior to my invention thereof; it isevident that the two sleeves having their bores intersecting asdescribed, and combined with pivot posts cut or grooved to admit ofbringing the notches or grooves into the common space of intersectionmight be employed in other structures with only such modifications aswould suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and therefore I ampresenting claims which are intended to cover this feature of myinvention wherever it may be employed, at the same time bearing in mind,that the invention is specially adapted for use in connection with tworotating members similar to or analogous to the back and zeitt bottom ofan auxiliary seat for automo Having thus described my invention, I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. An auxiliary seat for automobiles comprising the seat bottom and backadapted to be folded into substantially the same plane and turned halfWay around and near to the inner side of the car body by a continuousrotary movement in combination with a sleeve secured to the corner ofthe seat bottom and extending at an angle therefrom, a second sleeverigid therewith, transversely disposed, and parallel with the seatbottom, pivot posts, one for each sleeve, the first post of said lastmentioned sleeve being secured to and rotatable with said back, thebores of said sleeves intersecting to a limited extent, the pivot postsof said bores being cut away to provide grooves whereby the said bottommay be locked in position when the back is unfolded, and whereby theback will be locked with relation to the seat bottom when folded,substantially as described.

2. The combination with two members hinged together, of a plate securedto the corner of one member and provided with two sleeves, one sleevebeing at an acute angle to the plane of the member to which the plate issecured and the other sleeve extending transversely and in a planesubstantially parallel with said member, the bores of said sleeves, attheir intersection, occupying to a limited extent common space, a pintleon which the angular sleeve is adapted to be turned, and a pivot postcarried upon and turned by the movement of the other member, said postand pintle being each provided with a groove, thus being adapted to bebrought to register opposite one another in the space at theintersection of the bores of the sleeves, while in other positions ofthe members said grooves are reciprocally engaged to lock said memberswith respect to each other in folded position and in unfolded positionto lock said angular sleeve upon the pintle.

The -combination with a plate having two bores therein which partiallyintel-sect, of a swinging member and means whereby said plate isattached thereto, a fixed pivot post fitting in one of said bores andconstituting an axis about which said swinging member is swung, a secondmember, and a rotatable post carried by said second member and fittingin said other bore, whereby said second member is ivoted to said firstmentioned member, said posts at the intersection of said bores beingeach provided with a transversely extending groove, the groove in eachpost being adapted and arranged at certain relative positions of saidmembers to receive the rounded surface of the other post.

4. The combination with hinged members, of two sleeves attached to thecorner of one of said members, one sleeve being at an acute angle tosaid member, and the other sleeve placed transversely and substantiallyparallel with said member, a pivot post inserted in the bore of saidother member and re cured to and moved by said member, and a pivot postabout which the angularly dis-- posed sleeve is adapted to be rotated,the said interlocking posts being provided each with a groove with whichthe surfaces of the corresponding posts are adapted to engagerespectively at the extreme position of rotations, said grooves beingadapted, at their intermediate position, to register and occupy thecommon space at the intersection of the bores of the sleeves.

5. The pintle 8 fixed in position, the sleeve 7 mounted thereon, themember 2 on which said sleeve is mounted at an acute angle to the planethereof in combination with the second sleeve 9 disposed transverselyand substantially parallel with the plane of said member 2, a pivot post10 and member 1 to which said pivot or pin is secured to be movedthereby, the bores of said sleeves intersecting to a moderate extent,the said pintle and pivot post being provided each with a groove, saidgrooves being adapted to register to occupy the common intersection ofthe bores of the two sleeves, said grooves being adapted reciprocally totake the corresponding rounded surfaces of the pintle and postrespectively, according to the relative positions of said members.

6. In a folding seat, the combination with 'a seat-bottom, of'a platesecured to the un derside thereof, said plate having two bores &

therein which partially intersect, a fixed post fitting in one of saidbores and constituting an axis about which said bottom is swung to foldo1 unfold the same, said post having a transverse groove thereinarranged to register with the intersection of said bores when saidbottom is swung to its unfolded position, a seat-back foldable upon saidbottom, and a rotatable post carried by said seat back and fitting insaid other bore, said rotatable post constituting a pivot for foldingsaid back upon said bottom, said rotatable post being provided with atransverse groove which registers with the intersection of said boreswhen said back is folded upon said 15 bottom;

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day ofOctober, A. 1)., 1910.

EMIL Gr. PANDOW.

Witnesses ALFRED H. EJ001212, MQCLELLAND YOUNG.'

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

